Vivian Gussin Paley

Profile

Vivian Gussin Paley, working in early years settings in the United States, became a practitioner researcher, gathering her data using tape recordings of children’s conversations, play and narratives. She noted down and commented on her research in several books. Many educators believe that Paley’s biggest influence is in promoting storytelling and fantasy play in young children.

Key dates

1929 – Born in Chicago in the United States

1981 – Publication of ‘Wally’s Stories’, her first book

2004 – Paley was named as an Outstanding Educator by the US National Council of Teachers of English.

Links

• How Children Learn 1

Lev Vygotky

John Dewey

• How Children Learn 3

Carl Rogers

• Enabling Environments in the Early Years

The emotional environment

Her life

There was nothing to indicate in her schooling or childhood that she had any interest in becoming a teacher or in working with young children. She gained her PhB, Bachelor of Philosophy from the University of Chicago in 1947. She interrupted her undergraduate studies by moving to New Orleans, where she came under the influence of Rena Wilson who was a professor of education connected to Newcomb College Nursery School.

Paley says: ‘When I observed in her nursery school, Rena showed me how unpredictable and creative children are in their play. Rena helped me to see that the most interesting part of children’s play – the characters, plots, and dialogue – was something we often ignored. I thought to myself, “Wow, this is a subject that is far more exciting than anything else.” I was hooked from that point on.’ (1)

After teaching in New Orleans, and New York, she moved back to Chicago, where she became a kindergarten teacher at the University of Chicago Laboratory School where she remained for the rest of her teaching career. The school was founded in 1896 by John Dewey as an educational experiment to challenge the then conventional attitudes about childhood education. Dewey believed that education was a social process and wanted to show how a school could develop into a cooperative community.

Her writing

Paley wrote 13 books about young children, each with a unique theme. In You Can’t Say You Can’t Play, she explores the idea that some children wish to exclude other children from playing in their games. Paley had a rule in her classes that children were not allowed to do this and she discusses how important it is to have fairness in the classroom. In White Teacher, she considers issues around multiculturalism and how a racially mixed classroom can be best supported, drawing on her own experiences as a white teacher working with ethnic minority children. In The Boy Who Would Be a Helicopter, The Uses of Storytelling in the Classroom, Paley focuses on the stories that children tell and the power of them acting out their narratives.

Her theory

Paley’s books do not generally contain theory but draw on her own experiences as a practitioner-researcher to explore her thoughts, which themselves draw on narrative and psychoanalytic theories. A key aspect of her thinking is that adult perspectives differ from children’s perspectives and that, in order for adults to find out how children learn and relate to themselves, each other and society, children need to be observed and listened to in detail.

Story telling

Paley feels that children have an innate ability to put thoughts and feelings into the form of stories. She believes that children’s intellectual and social development can be profoundly affected by fantasy play and storytelling. They enable young children to begin to make sense of the world around them, get used to the requirements of the classroom, develop their language skills and understanding and interact empathetically with other children. By acting out their own and others’ stories, children can see what kinds of narrative are engaging and satisfying, whether the characters are using appropriate language and if the dramatisation is a true representation of the story. Story telling and dramatic play provide the opportunity for both adults and children to practise skills such as expressing their own ideas, listening to those of others, negotiating roles, and empathy. The children are able to consider feelings and emotions within the narrative, such as friendship, fear and loss.

Paley’s observations led to the belief that children take it for granted that fairy tales have a life of their own, including the power to frighten them, despite adults sometimes attempting to mitigate the full effects of the stories. However there is something much more profound taking place when children’s own stories are used. Paley thinks that they have an intuitive approach to narratives. She says ‘It is the way they think … it makes for a better story.’ (2)

Play

Paley strongly promotes the notion that the process through which children develop their understanding of their worlds is fantasy play. She believes that fantasy play provides a safe environment for children to explore their own identities (since they can be anybody or anything) and to reveal their secret thoughts. Paley feels that the power of fantasy play can never be over-estimated.

From her time at Newcomb College Nursery School, Paley says ‘In time we discovered that play was indeed work. First there was the business of deciding who to be and who the others must be, and what the environment is to look like and when it’s time to change the scene. Then there was the even bigger problem of getting others to listen to you and accept your point of view while keeping the integrity of the make-believe, the commitment of the other players and perhaps the loyalty of a best friend.’ (3)

Punishment

Paley points out that, as a teacher, she had made mistakes and yet was not punished by being isolated, humiliated or told that she was not allowed to take part in particular activities. She feels that it is not appropriate to do to children what she would not allow to be done to herself. So, once she decided to no longer use the ‘time out chair’, she decided that she would have to provide an alternative positive strategy for teaching.

The strategy that she developed was to tap into the energy and commitment children gave to telling their stories and being involved in dramatizing them. By carefully observing children and listening to them she was able to engage their motivations. By modelling fair and reasonable behaviour she was able to influence children’s behaviour. By enabling them to engage in each other’s narratives, their empathy towards each other was developed.

The role of the teacher/practitioner

Paley admits that, as a new teacher, she was afraid of the children and sought mostly to get the approval of the principal. She now feels that during her early teaching career she was out of step and ‘in the wrong forest’ in not paying enough attention to the children’s play and stories.

She notes that adults tend to regard the noisy, repetitive fantasies of children as uneducational, but says that those who choose to become educators should not think that they know how each child begins to learn. She concludes that the children are capable of dealing with frustrations in more ingenious and safe ways than she ever could.

It is the teacher’s role to help develop the ‘building blocks of society’. This can be achieved by observing children and supporting an environment which encourages fantasy play and leads to ‘friendship, fantasy and fairness’.

Inclusion

Paley says that it is through the inclusion of everyone’s stories that children feel valued, not just by inviting parents in to celebrate religious holidays or cultural events. She feels that equal weight should be given to community culture, family culture and the culture of play.

In her books, Paley demonstrates that every child, even those who have communication difficulties, has a story to tell and a right to have that story told, and can contribute to the classroom community. The contribution, even if it is considered by adults to be disruptive or a distraction, should be recognised for what it is. In the classroom adults must ensure that no-one is ignored or made to feel isolated.

Paley asks the child to dictate their story to her and she writes it down. The child then chooses who will act out the story and ‘critiques’ the attempts until it is just what they want. The drama is then acted out for the class and they discuss what they have seen.

Putting the theory into practice

Paley does not explicitly propose a theory and then test it against empirical research. She uses her experience of working with children to draw out general issues which she then comments upon. Therefore the theory in this chapter has been inferred from her writing, interviews and the comments of others.

Throughout her teaching career, Paley worked as a practitioner who constantly tried out her ideas. Through reflecting on what she observed and the data she gathered, she revised and developed her thinking, which she then encapsulated in her books.

In early years settings it is now common practice to observe children carefully and to find out and utilise the particular circumstances and interests of each child. Child-initiated activities are encouraged and valued and the power of play is recognised. Rules, based for example on inclusive practice, are discussed and drawn up with children and a safe environment for the discussion of relationships and anxieties is provided through such activities as circle times.

Practitioners take on the role of facilitators of children’s learning, providing the resources, time, equipment and environment, within which cognitive, social and emotional development can flourish. In many school and setting behaviour policies, the emphasis is on positive behaviour management where praise, rewards and recognition of achievement are the main strategies.

These strands – close observation, capturing children’s interests, child-initiated activities, positive behaviour management and inclusive practice – are all relevant to and supportive of children with special needs in the early years.

Paley’s thoughts on inclusive practice are fundamental to developing these children’s independence and sense of personal worth. To emphasise her approach – every child has a story to tell and a right to have that story told.

Her influence

Over her career, Paley has received many awards for her contribution to English teaching, early years practice and children in society. Her recognition by the educational and other communities, indicates that Paley’s work is readable and approachable and that she has something to say which resonates with a broad spectrum of audiences.

Paley’s focus on positive behaviour management strategies has been influential in the development of schools’ and settings’ behaviour management policies and strategies.

In her 1984 book, Boys and Girls: Superheroes in the Doll Corner, (6) Paley considers the way the curriculum and adult expectations of children’s work and play practices can disadvantage boys. In recent years there has been recognition of this for certain groups of boys within the education system and many schools and settings have since developed ‘boy-friendly’ strategies such as more competitiveness, action-focused curriculum, and an emphasis on physical activity. (7)

Comment

It could be argued that Paley’s research methodology was not systematic. Her ideas are based upon a relatively small and narrow sample of children who were selected due to their availability, that is the children who attended the University of Chicago Laboratory School. It is essentially a series of case studies. However, her writing is compelling and her conclusions resonate with the experience of other practitioners. The awards she has received bear testimony to this.

References

1. Illinois Early Learning Project (2010) Interview with Vivian Paley. [Internet]. Available from: <http://illinoisearlylearning.org/interviews/paley.htm>.
2. Paley, V.G. (1990) The Boy Who Would be a Helicopter, The Uses of Storytelling in the Classroom. Harvard, MA: Harvard University Press.
3. Paley, V.G. (2004) A Child’s Work: The Importance of Fantasy Play. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
4. Paley, V.G. (1990) The Boy Who Would be a Helicopter, the Uses of Storytelling in the Classroom. Harvard, MA: Harvard University Press, foreword.
5. Kappa Delta Pi (2006) Vivian G. Paley. [Internet]. Available from: <http://www.kdp.org/meetourlaureates/laureates/vivianpaley.php>.
6. Paley, V.G. (1984) Boys and Girls Superheroes in the Doll Corner. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
7. Rheynn Ynsee (2009) Addressing Boys’ Underachievement in Literacy For the Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Isle of Man Government Department of Education. [Internet]. Available from: <http://www.sch.im/boysachievement/Site/Home_files/BOY%20FRIENDLY%20UNITS%20FINAL.pdf>.

Where to find out more

Cooper, P. (2009) The Classrooms All Young Children Need: Lessons in Teaching from Vivian Paley. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.

http://adolescentwork.wordpress.com/2010/07/23/vivian-paley-an-early-ed-sel-teacher-at-heart